Golden Beet, Celery, and Chèvre Salad
This is the original recipe but I modified it slightly. I use arugula instead of beet greens because I like the peppery flavor. I also use more lemon juice and less olive oil in the dressing. I use several sprigs of thyme when roasting the beets and will roast extra beets and refrigerate to make future salads. May need more roasting time. I also brush the olive oil on each beet; makes it easier to peel. Yummy, yummy salad.
This is the original recipe but I modified it slightly. I use arugula instead of beet greens because I like the peppery flavor. I also use more lemon juice and less olive oil in the dressing. I use several sprigs of thyme when roasting the beets and will roast extra beets and refrigerate to make future salads. May need more roasting time. I also brush the olive oil on each beet; makes it easier to peel. Yummy, yummy salad.
- 2 sprigs thyme
- 4 each golden beets
- as needed sea salt
- to taste extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 large lemon juiced
- 1 heaping tablespoon dijon mustard
- 4 tablespoons good quality extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons tarragon chopped
- sprinkling crushed red pepper flakes optional
- to taste kosher salt
- to taste fresh ground pepper
- 4 stalks celery sliced thin
- 4 ounces chevre (goat cheese) crumbled
- Carbohydrate 5.14333788674 g
- Cholesterol 22.396123249 mg
- Fat 8.64365769304 g
- Fiber 2.04319995832443 g
- Protein 6.83061708498 g
- Saturated Fat 5.887767072609 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (97g)
- Sodium 217.826043965 mg
- Sugar 3.10013792841557 g
- Trans Fat 0.536036969004 g
- Calories 117 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Prepare beets by trimming the stems down to 1/4 inch. (it's important to leave a portion of the stem attached during the roasting process to retain moisture and avoid excess bleeding of color).
- Wash the beets using a vegetable brush to remove any grit.
- Trim the bottom "tail" of the beets.
- Brush beets with olive oil, sprinkle with sea salt and sprigs of thyme.
- Wrap in foil, place on cookie sheet, and roast until tender when pierced with knife - about 1 1/2 hours.
- If possible, allow beets to cool in their foil packet.
- Peel beets and slice into rounds.
- Meanwhile, trim leaves from stem, wash, and blanch in boiling water.
- Shock the greens in ice water, drain (using paper towel to squeeze excess moisture from leaves), chop and set aside.
- To make vinaigrette, whisk together the lemon juice, mustard, olive oil, tarragon, red pepper, salt and pepper in a medium sized bowl.
- When ready to serve the salad, use a Japanese mandoline or chef's knife to shave celery into thin slices.
- Toss the celery and the chopped beet greens with half the vinaigrette.
- Toss the beet rounds with remaining vinaigrette.
- Divide greens mixture onto four salad plates, and top with equal portions of beets.
- Top each salad with a crumbling of chèvre cheese.
Earthy sweetness from roasted root vegetables contrasts sharply with the lactic tang of aged goat cheese and the bitter, volatile compounds of fresh tarragon. Roasting golden beets at 350 degrees Fahrenheit breaks down their complex carbohydrates into simple sugars while concentrating moisture inside a foil barrier. Brushing the exterior with oil before cooking facilitates rapid skin removal once the vegetable cools.
- Leave a quarter-inch of stem attached during roasting to prevent moisture loss and bleeding.
- Bake until a sharp knife slides into the center with zero resistance, usually requiring about 90 minutes.
- Whisk Dijon mustard into the lemon juice vigorously before adding oil to force a stable emulsion.
- Shave the raw celery on a Japanese mandoline to disrupt cell walls and soften its rigid crunch.
- Substitute arugula for the traditional beet greens to introduce glucosinolates that cut through the rich dairy fats.
Proper emulsification prevents the vinaigrette from breaking prematurely on the plate. Chilled vegetables absorb the acid balance differently than warm components do.
